WETEX 2026 transport guide: getting to WETEX and the World Green Economy Summit at DWTC
WETEX 2026 runs 20–22 Oct at Dubai World Trade Centre, with WGES on 21–22 Oct. Which gate for each hall, metro, drop-off times and the 2027 status.
Chauffeur operations specialist, Dubai · Updated · 8 min read
WETEX 2026 runs Tuesday 20 to Thursday 22 October 2026 at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), with the exhibition open from 10am to 6pm. The World Green Economy Summit (WGES) runs alongside it on 21–22 October in Sheikh Rashid Hall. Take the Red Line to World Trade Centre station, or have a car drop you at the entrance for your hall.
That last point matters more at WETEX than at most shows. This year it spreads from the Za’abeel Halls at one end of the site to Sheikh Rashid Hall at the other, and a drop at the wrong gate means a long walk through crowded concourses. We plan exhibition and conference transport for delegations all through the DWTC season. Below is how we’d run WETEX week, plus what’s known so far about WETEX 2027.
When is WETEX 2026, and when is WETEX 2027?
The organiser, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), lists 20–22 October 2026 at DWTC on the WETEX website, and the Dubai Media Office announcement confirms it’s the 28th edition. WETEX 2027 hasn’t been announced.
| Edition | WETEX | World Green Economy Summit | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 (26th) | 1–3 October 2024 | 2–3 October 2024 | DWTC |
| 2025 (27th) | 30 September to 2 October 2025 | 1–2 October 2025 | DWTC |
| 2026 (28th) | 20–22 October 2026 | 21–22 October 2026 | DWTC |
| 2027 | Not announced yet; usually late September or October | Not announced yet; usually alongside WETEX | Not announced |
| 2028 | Not announced yet; usually late September or October | Not announced yet | Not announced |
The 2026 show sits about three weeks later than the previous two, so don’t book 2027 hotels from old dates. DEWA announced the 2025 dates in April 2025 and the 2026 dates in January 2026. We’ll update this table when 2027 is confirmed, and our Dubai events calendar will carry it too.
Day-by-day timings for 2026
These come from the official WETEX 2026 event programme.
| Day | Exhibition | World Green Economy Summit | Evening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 20 Oct | Opening ceremony 10am in Za’abeel Hall 1 | No sessions | None listed |
| Wed 21 Oct | 10am–6pm | Sessions from 9am; opening ceremony 10am | Gala dinner 7:15–10pm, Sheikh Maktoum Hall (invitation only) |
| Thu 22 Oct | 10am–6pm | 9am–4pm | None listed |
What is WETEX, and who goes?
WETEX is the Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition. DEWA organises it every year, and it now covers water, energy, renewables, electric vehicles, AI and sustainable cities. The organiser puts the 2025 edition at more than 50,000 visitors and 3,100+ exhibiting brands from 65 countries.
Visitors register online through the WETEX site. WGES is a separate conference with its own registration and a heavier protocol side, with around 135 speakers expected, ministers among them. Delegations often hold a mix of summit and exhibition passes, which is what makes the car plan fiddly.
Which DWTC entrance should you use for each hall?
Give your driver the entrance, not just “World Trade Centre”. The hall assignments below are from the WETEX 2026 programme; the entrance names are the ones on DWTC’s own venue map.
| What you’re there for | Hall | Entrance to ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Opening ceremony (20 Oct), DEWA stand 1 | Za’abeel Hall 1 | Za’abeel Entrance, off 2nd Za’abeel Road |
| DEWA stand 2 | Sheikh Saeed Hall 1 | Concourse 1, by World Trade Centre metro station |
| Water Platform and water seminars | Sheikh Saeed Hall 3 | Concourse 1 |
| Renewables and sustainability seminars | Hall 1 | Concourse 1 |
| DEWA business development stand | Hall 2 | Concourse 1 |
| Green Mobility and SRM conference | Hall 4 | Concourse 1 |
| Sponsor seminars | Hall 8 | Concourse 2, via Convention Gate or Exhibition Gate |
| Health and Safety Hub, gala dinner | Sheikh Maktoum Hall | Convention Gate |
| World Green Economy Summit | Sheikh Rashid Hall | Exhibition Gate, or the entrance on your summit invitation |
DWTC describes Halls 1–8 as opening off Concourse 1 and Concourse 2, so moving between, say, the Hall 4 mobility sessions and the Hall 8 seminars is a walk, not a drive. Switching between the Za’abeel Halls and the summit is a longer trip; check the WETEX floor plan before you decide to walk it or call the car. Our DWTC parking guide maps every gate to its nearest car park.
How do you get to WETEX: metro, bus, taxi or chauffeur?
| Option | How it works at DWTC | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai Metro | World Trade Centre station on the Red Line, which DWTC calls its own dedicated station | Solo visitors staying near the Red Line |
| RTA bus | Routes 27 and 29 stop outside the Novotel, next to Convention Gate (per DWTC visitor information published for Big 5 Global) | Residents on those routes |
| Taxi or ride-hailing | DWTC says pick-up and drop-off points are set up around the venue; the taxi rank is at the Taxi Rank and Transportation Hub | One-way trips |
| Self-drive | 7,530 spaces across six paid and two free car parks, plus valet and EV charging bays | People who know the site |
| Chauffeur | Dropped at your hall’s entrance; the car waits in a DWTC car park | Delegations, speakers, back-to-back meetings |
Parking figures and the metro note come from DWTC’s getting here page, which also says DWTC works with the transport authority to manage traffic during major events.
Drop-off and pickup on the summit days
Wednesday 21 October is the hard day. Summit sessions start at 9am, the summit’s opening ceremony and the exhibition both start at 10am, and the gala dinner runs from 7:15pm to 10pm. That’s three separate peaks at three different entrances.
For a delegation split across the summit and the stands, this is how we’d run it:
- Summit delegates first. Drop at Exhibition Gate by about 8:45am, before protocol cars arrive for the opening.
- Exhibition team second. A separate car or second loop drops at Concourse 1 or the Za’abeel Entrance before 10am.
- Cars wait off the kerb. Drop-off lanes are for stopping only, so the chauffeur parks and keeps his phone on.
- Agree the evening gate in the morning. At 6pm everyone leaves at once, and the first hour after closing is the slowest time to call a car.
- Gala guests get their own pickup. The dinner is in Sheikh Maktoum Hall, so book the return for 10pm at Convention Gate.
Thursday is easier for summit-only guests. WGES closes at 4pm on 22 October, two hours before the exhibition, so they’re out before the halls empty onto Sheikh Zayed Road.
Traffic and timing that week
- Mornings on Sheikh Zayed Road. The 10am opening sits on top of the normal morning peak. Be dropped before opening, not at it.
- Tuesday’s opening ceremony. It’s at 10am in Za’abeel Hall 1, so expect the Za’abeel side to be the busiest entrance that morning.
- The 6pm close. It lands on the evening peak. Book a DIFC or Downtown dinner for 7:30pm, not 6:30pm.
- Exhibitor tour day. DEWA’s 19 October tour for exhibitors to its Sustainability and Innovation Centre at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park runs on DEWA shuttle buses from Umm Hurair 2, with the programme putting each leg at 50–60 minutes. You don’t need your own car for it.
If WETEX is your sustainability show of the year, Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week is the next one; see our Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week transport guide.
Which car for a delegation?
- Minister, CEO or summit speaker: a Mercedes S-Class with chauffeur or a large SUV for the protocol arrival.
- One or two visitors: a business sedan on fixed transfers.
- Stand team of up to six: one Mercedes V-Class, with room for brochures and kit.
- Larger groups: a minibus or coach, which we arrange, on one loop to one gate.
Hourly hire (three-hour minimum) suits days with meetings outside DWTC; fixed transfers suit people who stay on the stand. For return visits to the venue all year, see our Dubai World Trade Centre transfers.
Frequently asked questions
What is WETEX in Dubai?
WETEX is the Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition, organised every year by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA). It covers water, energy, renewables, electric vehicles, AI and sustainable cities. The 2026 edition is the 28th and runs 20–22 October at Dubai World Trade Centre.
Where is WETEX 2026 held?
At Dubai World Trade Centre on Sheikh Zayed Road. The 2026 programme uses most of the venue, including Halls 1, 2, 4 and 8, Sheikh Saeed Halls 1 and 3, Za’abeel Hall 1, Sheikh Maktoum Hall and Sheikh Rashid Hall. Check your hall before you set off, because each has its own entrance.
When is WETEX 2027?
DEWA hasn’t announced WETEX 2027 yet. Recent editions ran 1–3 October 2024, 30 September to 2 October 2025 and 20–22 October 2026, so late September or October is the likely window. The 2026 dates were announced in January 2026.
Is the World Green Economy Summit at the same venue as WETEX?
Yes. The World Green Economy Summit 2026 runs 21–22 October in Sheikh Rashid Hall at Dubai World Trade Centre, during WETEX. Sessions start at 9am on both days, and the summit closes at 4pm on 22 October. Sheikh Rashid Hall has two main visitor entrances; we use Exhibition Gate unless the invitation names another.
Which metro station is closest to WETEX?
World Trade Centre station on the Dubai Metro Red Line. DWTC describes it as its own dedicated station, and the Sheikh Saeed Halls sit next to it. For the Za’abeel Halls on the far side of the site, a car drop at the Za’abeel Entrance saves the walk.
Written by
Arshad HussainArshad Hussain has run chauffeur and limousine operations in Dubai since 2014: dispatch, fleet allocation, airport pickups and event transport.
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